Point 4 – Estuarine Vegetation

Protection of estuarine vegetation, particularly salt marsh, should be encouraged (or enforced) along the Whangateau Harbour side of Point Wells, both north and south of the Omaha Causeway.

Omaha Taniko Wetlands Scientific Reserve - Roger Grace

Reasons: Estuarine vegetation, especially saltmarsh, coupled with retention of the natural shoreline contour, is very important for prevention of coastal erosion. Auckland Council has a policy of protection of estuarine vegetation, perhaps partly for this reason. Saltmarsh is also an important habitat for some rare native birds. This stretch of saltmarsh is currently being severely attacked by local residents, who have been bulldozing and burning saltmarsh, poisoning and chain sawing mangroves, and installing concrete and other rubble in attempts to control the resulting shoreline erosion, on what is technically public land on the esplanade reserve. There is relatively little of the natural shoreline left around the harbour, and this zone is where it is most actively being destroyed at present.